Package delivering apparatus



' Feb. 15, 1938. E. BARRETT 2,108,302

PACKAGE DELIVERING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 16, 1936 Patented Feb. 15, 19382,108,32.

UNITED STATE ATENT OFIQE PACKAGE DELIVERING APPARATUS Edward Barrett,Des Moines, Iowa Application November 16,1936, Serial No. 111,025

6 Claims. (Cl. 312-94) Y My invention relates to the art of so-calledporting platforms I4. The rear upper end of self-serving salesapparatus, and is especially each of these platforms is fixed to asleeve I adapted for use in the display and sale of perishrotatablymounted in the adjacent frame mernable food such as meat, which must bekept under hers I I. Near the lower end of each of said plat- 5refrigeration. forms is a plate I6 having downwardly extended My objectis to provide an apparatus of this edge portions l1, and mounted in saidedge porcharacter of simple, durable and inexpensive tions I! is a slidebolt I8 normally held in an exconstructio-n; more specifically it is myobject to tended position by a spring I9. As shown in provide for thevisible display to customers of a Figure 3, the upper edge of the plateIt projects- 10 large assortment of meats enclosed in transparabove theadjacent top surface of the rods i4. 1 0 ent wrappers and contained in arefrigerator and This is sufficient to hold packages from slidingclearly visible to customers. off the platform by gravity when theplatform A further object is to provide means of simple is at the angleshown by solid lines in said figure, and inexpensive constructionwhereby acustomer but when the platform is tilted to the position may,after selecting any one of the packages deshown by dotted lines at theright end of said 1 5 sired, press a button and have the selected purfir h packages W l slide f y avi y and chase delivered to the exterior ofthe refrigerator will slide down the smooth bottom of the chute l2.Without harm to the wrapper of the package and When the platform is inits normal position, as without disturbing any of the remainingpackshown in Figure 3, this slide bolt engages and ages on displaywithin the refrigerator, and furrests upon a support 26 fixed to themain frame.

ther to reduce to a minimum the amount of warm At the sides of theplatform I provide upwardly air that may enter the refrigerator duringthe extended guide members 2| to receive and hold withdrawal of aselected package therefrom. the packages 22 against-lateral movement.

In the accompanying drawing-- To provide for releasing the platforms Ihave Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a portion mounted in the sleevel5 a shaft 23 having an of my improved apparatus. arm 24 at its outerend and an arm 25 at its inner Figure 2 shows a side elevation of aportion of end. This arm 25 is connected by a rod 6 W t my improvedapparatus, the dotted lines showing a latch bolt I8, and the arm 24 isconnected by the position of one of the package supporting a Tod 27 Witha p button 28 p oj t o t 30 platforms in position for discharging apackage. front of the appa In Order to permit a 30 Figure 3 shows avertical sectional view of a relative rotary movement of the arm 25 tothe part of my improved apparatus illustrating one sleeve I5 I haveformed a slot 29 in the: sleeve of the package supporting platforms andits trip as shown in Figure 6. latch device. Connected with the mainframe is a receiving Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a refrigtrough38 which extends below the chutel? to erator having my improvedapparatus installed receive packages which slide down the chute andtherein. through the opening at the front covered by the Figure 5 showsa detail view partly in section, door I3. I preferably arrange a numberof rows and illustrates the means for withdrawing the of these packagereceiving platforms side by side 40 latch device; and within the cabinetI0. 40

Figure 6 shows a sectional View on the line t6 For each plat o I4 I haveProvided Spring of Figure 5. iiI attached to the main frame and engagingthe Referring to the accompanying drawing I have under surface of theplatform. This spring is used the reference numeral I0 to indicate'generof such degree of resilience that when the platally a glasspaneled display cabinet and refrigform is empty the spring willautomatically raise erator of ordinary construction. Mounted withit, butwhen there is a weight on the platform and in the display cabinet is ametal frame it inthe latch bolt is released, the platform will moveclined upwardly and rearwardly from the lower downwardly. However, themovement of the front side of the display cabinet at an angle ofplatform downwardly to discharging position is about 45. Supported inthis frame is a series of effected by a movement of the crank and the 50chutes having smooth metal bottom portions I2. corresponding movement ofthe sleeve I5 to At the lower end of each of these chutes is a pivwhichthe platform is attached, after the arm 25 oted door I3 to swingoutwardly and to automatihas reached the limit of the slot 29, as shownin cally close by gravity. Mounted between the Figure 6, thereby rockingthe sleeve l5 and movsides of the frame I I is a series of packagesuping the platform to discharge position. 55

In practical use, the operator places packages of merchandise on each ofthe platforms. This merchandise is preferably wrapped in transparentcovers, such, for instance, as cellophane, so that purchasers on theoutside of the cabinet may readily see the contents of each and everypackage. When the purchaser desires to remove any of the packages fromthe cabinet he simply presses upon the knob 28 corresponding to theparticular platform on which the desired package is resting. As soon asthis is done, the latch bolt I8 is released and the platform moveddownwardly by gravity or by an additional pressure upon the knob 28, sothat the package slides off of the platform into the chute ll. It thenslides by gravity along said chute until it reaches the door It, andthe. impact of the package against the door causes it to open anddeliver the package into the receiving trough 30. The door I3 isautomatically closed by gravity as soon as the package has passedthrough it, so that aminimum amount of heated air is admitted into therefrigerating chamber of the cabinet due to this passage of the packagefrom the cabinet. As soon as the package slides off of the platform thespring 3l normally returns the platform to its normal position, and thelatch bolt l8 secures it in that position.

I have found in practical use that with my improvement the packages mayreadily be seen and inspected through the glass front of the cabinet andthat unskilled operators can readily, quickly and accurately select anydesired package and press the button 28 corresponding to the selectedpackage and deliver the selected package to the receiving trough at thefront without any injury or damage to the cellophane or other wrapper inwhich the merchandise is contained.

I claim as my invention:

1. A package delivering apparatus, comprising an inclined chute, aseries of packages supporting platforms arranged in line above the chuteand substantially parallel therewith, each being pivotally supported atits upper rear end, a latch device for holding the lower front end ofthe platform in its normal position for supporting a package, and amanually operated means for each platform extended beyond the lowerfront platform for tripping the. latch device of the selected platform.

2. A package delivering apparatus, comprising an inclined chute, aseries of package supporting platforms arranged in line above the chuteand substantially parallel therewith, each being pivotally supported atits upper rear end, a latch device for holding the lower front end ofthe platform in its normal position for supporting a package, a manuallyoperated means for each platform extended beyond the lower frontplatform for tripping the latch device of the selected platform, and aspring device for automatically returning each platform to normalposition.

3. A package delivering apparatus, comprising a frame, a series ofpackage supporting platforms, a sleeve for each platform pivotallymounted in the frame and having the adjacent platform fixed thereto, ashaft rctatably mounted in each sleeve, a latch device for holding eachplatform in normal position, an arm fixed to said shaft and connected tosaid latch device for releasing it when the shaft is rocked in onedirection, and means operated by said arm for moving the sleeve. andplatform to package releasing position when said arm is moved in thedirection required for releasing the latch device.

4. A package delivering apparatus, comprising a frame, a series ofpackage supporting platforms, a sleeve for each platform pivotallymounted in the frame and having the adjacent platform fixed thereto, ashaft rotatably mounted in each sleeve, a latch device for holding eachplatform in normal position, an arm fixed to said shaft and connected tosaid latch device for rereleasing it when the shaft is rocked in onedirection, means operated by said arm for moving the sleeve and platformto package releasing position when said arm is moved in the directionrequired for releasing the latch device, a spring for automaticallyreturning the platform to its package display position, and a spring foroperating said latch for securing the platform in said position.

5. A package delivering apparatus, comprising a frame inclined upwardlyfrom its front, a series of package sup-porting platforms mounted onsaid frame and arranged in longitudinal alignment, a sleeve for eachplatform rotatably mounted in the frame at the rear of each platform andhaving a slot near its center, said platforms being fixed to saidsleeves, a spring actuated latch device for automatically securing eachplatform in normal position, a shaft rotatably mounted in each of saidsleeves and having an arm fixed thereto and projected through said slot,a rod connecting said arm with said latch device, said parts being soarranged that the initial movement of the arm will release the latch andfurther rotation will tilt the front of the platform downwardly by thepressure of said arm upon the sleeve at the end of said slot, a springfor each platform to return it to normal position when released, asecond arm fixed to each of said shafts, a rod connected therewith andextended to a point in front of the frame.

6. A package delivering apparatus, comprising a frame inclined upwardlyfrom its front, a series of package supporting platforms mounted on saidframe and arranged in longitudinal alignment, a sleeve for each platformrotatably mounted in the frame at the rear of each platform and having aslot near its center, said platforms being fixed to said sleeves, aspring actuated latch device for automatically securing each platform innormal position, a shaft rotatably mounted in each of said sleeves andhaving an arm fixed thereto and projected through said slot, a rodconnecting said arm with said latch device, said parts being so arrangedthat the initial movement of the arm will release the latch and furtherrotation will tilt the front of the platform downwardly by the pressureof said arm upon the sleeve at the end of said slot, a spring for eachplatform to return it to normal position when released, a second armfixed to each of said shafts, a rod connected therewith and extended toa point in front of the frame, a package delivery chute below theplatforms and inclined at such angle as to cause packages thereon toslide downwardly toward the front of the frame, and a door at the frontof said chute arranged to be automatically opened by the impact of apackage and to automatically close after the package has passed beyondit.

EDWARD BARRETT.

